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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mark — a grade
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. file — a document
  10. pitch — completely
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. saw — the tool
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. file — a tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mark — a trace
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. snap — to click
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com